Vertically-adjustable brake-staff for cars.



W. J. GRATRICK & J. F. FERGUSON.

VERTICALLY ADJUSTABLE BRAKE STAFF FOR CARS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG- 13 I914.

Patented Jul 6, 1915.

WITNESSES WILLIAM JAMES GRATRICK AND JOHN FRANCIS FERGUSON, 0F MINNEAPOLIS,

' MINNESOTA.

VERTICALLY-ADJUSTABLE BRAKE-STAFF FOR CARS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented duty 6, 1915.

Application filed August 13, 1914. Serial No. 856,554.

tically-Adjustable Brake-Staffs for Cars;'

and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. a

Our invention has for its object to provide a vertically adjustable brake staff for cars, especially adapted for use on flat cars;

' and, to this end, generally stated, the invention consists of the novel devices and combinations-of devices hereinafter described and defined in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the invention, like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is an end elevation of a flat car, havingincorporated therein the invention, some parts being shown in different positions by means of broken lines; Fig. 2 is a front elevation, on an enlarged scale, of the invention removed from the car, some parts being broken away and some of the exposed parts being shown in section; Fig. 3 is a detail view, on an enlarged scale, partly in elevation and partly in vertical section, taken in the vicinity of the line to of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a detail view, in vertical section, taken on the line m m of Fig. 3; and Fig. 5 is a transverse, horizontal section, taken on the line of m of Fig. 2, on an enlarged scale.

The numeral 1 indicates a car truck arranged to run on track rails 2, and the 'numeral 3 indicates the body of a fiat car.

The above described parts have been illustrated for the purpose of showing the in vention applied in a working position and may be of the standard or any desired construction. I

The numeral 4 indicates a vertically extended,-brake-operating, Windlass drum, of tubular form, the opening in which is rectangular in cross section. Formed on the extreme upper end portion of the Windlass drum 4 is a multiplicity of circumferentially spaced ratchet teeth 5. on the lower end of said Windlass drum is a tubular trunnion 6, axially alined with said Windlass drum and journaled in the transverse portion of a stirrup-like hanger bracket 7 securedto the end sill of the car body 8. The

upper end portion of the Windlass drum 4 is ournaled in a bearing 8 also secured to said end sill and which fits into an annular groove 9 formed in said drum, immediately below the ratchet teeth 5. Obviously, this groove 9 holds the Windlass drum 4 against endwise lifting movement. The lower end portion of the Windlass dtum 4 is expanded and has formed therein a recess 10 having a lateral opening 11. Integrally formed with the Windlass drum 4 is a perforated lug 12, to which the brake chain, not shown, is secured. Cooperating with the ratchet teeth 5 is a lock lug, not shown, for holding the Windlass drum 4 against rotation in a direction to permit the brake chain to unwind therefrom. The inner edges of the side walls of the opening 11 are curved at 13 and the opposite wall of the recess 10 is reversely cur'ved at 14, the purpose of which will presently appear. integrally formed on the bottom of the recess .10, inward of the opening 11 and in the same vertical planes with the side walls thereof, is a pair of lugs 15, spaced inward from said side walls to afford a pair of open seats 16. The bottom of the recess 10, at the junction of the curved wall 14 by which said Windlass drum is rotated to 7 wind the brake chain thereon. The brake staff is of the same form in cross section as the opening in the Windlass drum 4, thereby locking said brake staff for common rotation with the Windlass drum 4, but with freedom for endwise sliding movement therein. A hand wheel 19 is secured to the reduced upper end of the brake stafi 18 by a nut 20, and the lower end thereof is expanded to form a square head 21. When the brake staff is in a lowered position, the head 21' projects considerably below the Windlass drum 4 and the hand wheel 19 prevents endwise removal of the brake staff through the bottom of said drum. When the brake staff 18 is raised to its highest elevation, the head mately the same width as'the opening 11 and 21 enters a reduced extension 22' of the recess 10 and thereby prevents the brake staff from being withdrawn through, the top of said Windlass-drum.

The brake staff 18 is supported in a raised position by a lock plate 23, having at one edge a pair of axially alined trunnions 24 which extend outward of said plate and are detachably andremovably journaled in the open seats 16. This lock plate 23 is of approxihas integrally formed-therewith, intermediately between the trunnions 24, an upwardly projecting finger piece 25. Said lock plate 23, when turned into a position to support the brake staff 18 in a raised position, extends tragsversely. Hacrossthe recess 10 undersaid brake staff, with its free edge portion resting on the shoulder 17. To permit the brake staff 18 to be lowered, the

same is first raised to 'carry its head 21 out.

of engagement with the lock plate 23 and into the recessed extension 22. In this position of the brake staff 18 the lock plate 23 may be moved on its trunnions by pulling outward on the finger piece 25 to carry said lock plate from'a horizontal position, under said brake stafl", to a substantially vertical position to one side thereof. When in a vertical position, the lock plate 23 extends into the opening 11 and isprevented from being completely moved therethrough by its trunnions 24, which engage the side walls of said Opening, and a. depending stop 26 at the top of said opening. In this position of the lock plate 23, the brake staff 18 may be lowered into a position as indicated by dotted lines in Figs; 1 and 2.' When said brake staff is position with its trunnion-equipped edge portion uppermost, and then passing the same upward through the tubular trunnion '6, the trunnions are swung toward and into engagement with the curved surfaces 13. After the lower edge portion of the lock plate 23'is moved into the recess 10, the same is moved to the right, with respect to Fig. 4 and carried onto the shoulder 17. In this position 'of. the lock plate 23 the trunnions 24 are free to drop into the seats 16. To remove thelock plate 23 from the recess 14, the movements" are the same only in reverse order When the brake staff 18 is supported in a raised position on the lock plate 23, as shown in Fig. 2, said lock plate is held thereby against removal from the recess 10.

While the improved device is intended for general use, it is especially adapted for use on flat cars when the same are used in hauling dirt wherein a plow is mounted to travel over thetops of said cars to remove the dirt therefrom, and for use in haulmg long materials which project over the ends of theflcar. As shown in Fig. 1, the hand Wheel 19 may be lowered into a position entirely below the upper surface of the car. What We claim is: l 1. The combination with a car, of a tubular brake operating indlass drum journaled in bearings on said car, a vertically movable brake stafl mounted in said windtherewith, and a lock plate mounted for movement from an inoperative position, at one side of the brake staff, to an operative lass drum, but held for common rotation position, bridging the passage-way through said Windlass drum, under the brake staff, for supporting the brake staff in a raised position and, in turn, holding the lock plate in its bridging position. v

2. The combination with a car, of a tubular, brake-operating Windlass drum, journaled inbearings on said car, and having a recess with a lateral opening, a vertically movable brake stafi mounted in said windlass drum for a limited endwise movement in either direction with respect thereto, but held for common rotation therewith, a"-lock plate, having trunnions journaled inthe side walls of the opening in said recess, said lock plate arranged to beiturned transversely under said brake staff to supportlille same in a raised position, and arranged to be turned upward into said opening to permit said brake staff to be lowered, and a stop preventing said lock .plate'from being removed from' said recess through the opening thereof.

3'. The combination with a car, of a tubuv lar, brake-operating Windlass drum, journaled in bearings on said car and having a recess with'a lateral opening, a vertically movable brake staff mounted in said windlass drum, for a limited endwise movement in either direction with res ect thereto but held. for common rotation t erewith, a lock plate, detachably and removably mounted in said recess and having'trunnions-zjournaled in open seats formed in the sidewalls of the opening in said recess, said lock plate arranged to be turned transversely under said brake staff to support the same in a raised position, and arranged to be turned upward into said opening to permit said brake staff to be lowered, and a stop, preventing said lock plate from being removed from said recess through the opening therein.

wearer 4. The combination with a car, of a tubular, brake-operating Windlass drum, journaled in bearings on said car and having, at its lower end portion, a recess with a lateral opening, a vertically movable brake staff mounted in said Windlass drum for a limited, endwise movement, in either direction with respect thereto, but held for common rotation therewith, a lock plate having trunnions and adapted to be inserted into said recess and removed therefrom through the lower end of said tubular windlass drum, the trunnions of said lock plate being journaled in open seats, formed in the side walls of the opening in saidrecess, said lock plate arranged to be turned into a horizontal position under said brake stafi to support the same in a raised position, and arranged to be turned upward into said opening to permit said brake staff to be lowered, and. a stop preventing said lock plate from being removed from said recess through the opening therein.

5. The combination with a car, of a tubular, brake-operating Windlass drum, journaled in bearings on said car and having, at its lower end portion, a recess with a lateral opening, a vertically movable brake stafi mounted in said Windlass drum for a limited, endwise movement in either direction with respect thereto, but held for common rotation therewith, a lock plate having trunnions and adapted to be inserted into said recess and removed therefrom through the lower end of said tubular Windlass drum, the trunnions of said lock plate being journaled in open seats, formed in the side walls of the opening in said recess, said lock plate arranged to be turned into a horizontal position, and arranged to beturned upward into-said opening to permit said brake staff to be lowered, a finger piece on said lock plate extending into said opening, and a stop preventing said lock plate from being removed from said recess through the opening therein.

In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM JAMES GRATRICK. JOHN FRANCIS FERGUSON.

Witnesses:

Anion L. KING, HARRY D. KILcoRn. 

